


Jellyfish + Soda Tab + Camera

by Anonymous



Series: Mac + Desi + Zayn [4]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Bisexual!Desi, Fish, Fluff, It's only rated Teen cuz Desi keeps making sex jokes, Multi, Nonbinary Character, Pansexual!MacGyver, Pie, Polyamory, We've got it all folks, nonbinary OC, self-indulgence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:53:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22884325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: It's been a couple months, and Mac is adjusting. They all are. Sometimes they even have time for a date. Things are far from perfect, but they're good, sometimes.
Relationships: Angus MacGyver/Desiree "Desi" Nguyen, Desiree "Desi" Nguyen/Original Character(s)
Series: Mac + Desi + Zayn [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1374475
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9
Collections: Anonymous





	Jellyfish + Soda Tab + Camera

It wasn’t warm enough for the beach, but the aquarium seemed like the next best thing. 

And okay, Desi was Mac’s girlfriend, and Zayn was just her partner, not his, but he’d definitely picked this date with them in mind. He hoped Desi would like it too, but even if she wasn’t an aquarium person, she’d probably love Zayn’s excitement. 

Zayn sat in the back seat behind Mac while Desi drove, the way she always did, even though they’d taken his car. Zayn’s electric energy made Mac smile as they fidgeted with the hem of their skirt - it was jellyfish-patterned - and babbled on about sea creature facts. They had their camera bag on the seat next to them and they kept patting it absently, though it was in no danger of walking away.

He had two free tickets because he’d done some work for the aquarium’s owner to fix up the filtration system, and as soon as the elderly man had handed them over, Mac knew what he was going to do. He didn’t mind paying for his own ticket; there was no way he was leaving either Desi or Zayn at home. It’d been a little while since he and Desi had had time to go on a proper date, and Zayn had been extra stressed lately. 

Was he trying to impress them? Maybe a little. Did he have feelings for them? The way his heart jumped at the thought suggested something, but he sure didn’t want to complicate things by thinking too hard. Zayn was cool. Zayn was sweet. Zayn was a good friend. 

There was no guarantee Zayn even liked guys, let alone Mac himself.

The horn blared. “Move it, jackass!” Desi shouted impatiently.

Zayn winced. “Des, was that really necessary?” Mac couldn’t help but agree with them, but he’d learned only Zayn was allowed to criticize Desi’s driving. 

_“You haven’t been together long enough for that,”_ Zayn had explained. _“She can and will kick your ass if you imply she’s a bad driver.”_

She wasn’t bad, just...slightly reckless. She and Jack had the same love affair with the gas pedal and the horn, and Mac still wasn’t used to it, even though he’d experienced it within twenty-four hours of meeting her. Judging by the way Zayn liked to grab the panic bar and murmur under their breath, he had a guess he never would be. 

The line was blessedly short when they got to the aquarium and before he knew it, Zayn was gone. His brow creased.

“They’re a big kid,” Desi promised, as if reading his concern. “They’ll be fine.” She raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Besides, I’d think you’d want a little time alone.”

It was true that Zayn was around a lot, but it never actually bothered him. They didn’t feel like an intrusion. Still, the look on her face made him at least a little bit thankful for the privacy as she pulled him into a secluded corner and started to kiss him. 

They hadn’t seen a single fish and she already had him against the wall. Not that he could complain, really, as she kissed her way down his jaw, biting softly and really quite obscenely for a public place. He stifled the small gasps.

“You make such pretty sounds,” she crooned. “On second thought, maybe it’s a shame they’re not here to watch.” 

He liked that thought more than he thought he should, and then Desi popped the top button of his shirt and he stopped thinking. 

What startled him out of bliss and back to reality was a camera flash. He whipped around to see Zayn letting their camera hang from the strap around their neck, smiling and rolling their eyes. “Y’all are unbelievable.”

Desi laughed but didn’t let go of his shirt collar. “Yeah, and you love it.”

“Makes a pretty picture.” Zayn shrugged, but they were grinning. It was infectious. “C’mon, it’s a waste of money if you don’t actually see anything.”

Their skirt bounced as they walked away, leaving Mac and Desi to share a smile and follow after them. Zayn led them to the jellyfish, which Mac was pretty sure they’d already seen, but they pointed out a couple and spouted some fun jellyfish facts and made sure he spent ample time appreciating the creatures. They also took some photos through the glass, and Mac was pretty sure they were getting some of Desi, too.

Desi was a fan of otters, to Mac’s surprise. She shrugged. “I like cute things.” She inclined her chin in the direction that Zayn had scampered off. “Also, watching them eat mollusks is pretty cool. And they hold hands when they sleep.” 

He couldn’t help but laugh. He liked the soft side of Desi, though she was never quite so soft with him as she was with Zayn. She seemed to get a kick out of pushing him around and annoying him, and while he couldn’t deny that her satisfied smirk was attractive, that made moments like these all the more precious. Moments when Desi let down all of her walls and he got to see _her_ , the her that she protected from the rest of the world, with a crooked smile and a love of animals. 

An otter floated past them and held out its paw to the glass. Desi, seeming to not quite think, pressed her finger right up against it, smiling softly. 

God, he was in love with her. 

Mac was less surprised to find Desi loved sharks. She didn’t rattle facts like Zayn did, but she did have a few interesting tidbits - mostly about what they ate and how fast they could swim. Her favorite was the Sand Tiger shark, because of how many teeth it had.

“Also, they hunt in teams,” she explained, offering a soft smile. “Which is cool.” 

His heart fluttered. The future of Phoenix was unclear - the US government was _not_ happy with them - but he was hopeful that the team would stay together. Especially Desi, who seemed most likely to jet off. 

They stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the glass, watching the sharks go. They really did have a lot of sharp teeth, and it was kind of badass and terrifying and on-brand for Desi, but she still got a little soft around the edges looking at them. She looked at peace here, happy in a way he rarely got to see. 

Mac wondered if she would like to be a mermaid, too, but figured she would make fun of him for asking. He’d ask Zayn instead. 

The two of them kept wandering and found Zayn over by the touch pools, camera hanging loose around their neck while they pet some bamboo sharks. Their arm was shiny with water and the edges of their sleeve soaked, but they were utterly captivated by the sharks, and the look of wonder on their face was beautiful.

Desi leaned her head into his shoulder. “Not a bad date, MacGyver.” She smirked. “Though I think maybe you’ve impressed them more than me.”

“But that impresses you, too,” Mac pointed out, earning a grin. 

“You’re learning.”

“I am.” He was learning so much, really, about her and them and people and love. 

He took a chance and threaded his fingers through hers, hoping she wouldn’t pull away like she sometimes did. Instead, she squeezed his hand back, a bit tight but nothing he would complain about. It was just the way she was. She kept her head on his shoulder, too, and he felt a rush of love in him so warm that he thanked Jack again for sending Desi his way.

Jack knew about him and Desi. He’d given Mac a lot of shit about it, and a little for Desi too; none for Zayn, though, who he just asked Desi to pass along a kiss for. 

Jack was still the only one who knew about Zayn. Riley and Bozer knew about him and Desi - and Leanna, for that matter, and Matty, and god knew who else - but Zayn hadn’t come by to hang out in spite of repeated invitations, and it hadn’t come up, and he honestly wasn’t sure where to start, anyway. So it was nice to be on call with Jack, who knew, who teased Mac and Desi and Zayn, who made Zayn’s face turn red when Mac and Desi conveyed the phone conversations.

It wasn’t perfect, but it was his. 

“Earth to MacGyver,” Desi teased. “You’re spaced out at the spot Zayn isn’t even in anymore.” 

He shook himself. So he was. 

“Where’d they go?” he asked, then startled a little as a voice from his shoulder said, “Behind you.”

Zayn entered his field of view, right hand still gripping the body of the camera. They smiled. “It was a good photo.” They offered the display to him, and when he pulled it close, he had to agree; Desi leaning on his shoulder, the two of them holding hands, and in the background, a vast expanse of blue dotted with fish.

It took his breath away.

“These are amazing,” he praised. “You’re practically a professional.”

They ducked their head, blushing. “I freelance. Graduations, weddings, sometimes stuff for the newspaper. Nothing too big.”

Mac grinned. “That’s pretty cool. I’d love to see your portfolio sometime.” He tilted his head back towards Desi. “Got any photos of her?”

Zayn smiled shyly. “So many.”

“They once did a boudoir shoot of me,” Desi added, and though Mac wasn’t looking at her, he could feel the wicked smile she had to be wearing as warmth flooded his body. 

Zayn, if possible, flushed deeper, but he was pretty sure he was bright red, too, so it’s not like he could say anything about it. “Yes,” they admitted with as much decorum as they could manage. “Those are...also services I offer.”

Desi moved up closer onto his shoulder and practically purred in his ear. “If you’re good, we’ll show you for free.” She chuckled and went in for the killing blow. “Zayn’s in some of em, too.”

He let out a strangled noise at approximately the same time Zayn choked and shoved their hands over their face. “I’ve died. This is it, I’ve died and now I’m in hell,” they mumbled. “You did not just offer to show _MacGyver_ pictures of me with minimal to no clothing. My for-who-knows-how-much-longer coworker. The son of my boss. The -” They cut themself off. “Des, I swear to _God_.”

“What? You’re gorgeous, and we make quite the pretty picture. I bet Mac would love to see it.” She dropped her voice even lower. “I bet Mac would love to watch.” 

His eyes got wide as he glanced between Desi and Zayn, Desi grinning like she’d just made the world’s funniest joke and Zayn still blushing, still with their face hidden in their hands. “I’m gonna...go now,” they squeaked, and then they speedwalked away. 

Desi nearly doubled over wheezing. “God, it was fun when it was just them, but now I can fluster the both of you at once,” she laughed. “And it’s even better.”

Mac chose not to reply, instead pulling her in for a slightly annoyed but ultimately loving kiss. Desi met him and he could feel her smiling against his lips. 

“Troublemaker,” he accused. 

She grinned. “Guilty.”

He didn’t want to ask what it was with her and watching. He was afraid the answer would kill him, and that she’d do it on purpose, so he rolled his eyes and they kept walking. Desi stopped at the touch pool because she wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to pet a shark, and she dragged Mac’s hand into the water to feel the smooth back, too. 

This time, though, Zayn came back to them first, holding their camera in their hands and gritting their teeth. 

“What’s wrong?” Desi asked, immediately ready to fight. Mac could feel the tension in her shoulders. 

“It’s fine.” Zayn shook their head. “Some jackass broke my camera strap. Swore it was an accident but…” They sighed. “It’s fine, it’s just the plastic clip that’s broken. I’ll just hold onto it. It won’t fall again.”

‘Again’ did not sound good, and clearly Desi agreed. 

“Is it lunch time?” Mac asked. “Overpriced aquarium food?”

Desi snorted. “My favorite kind.” 

“Especially since we haven’t been paid in a couple months,” Zayn added. 

Mac’s brow furrowed. “You haven’t?”

“You’re getting paid?” Zayn asked in reply, then stifled a dry laugh. “God, I feel like the kid in that one movie with Jennifer Aniston. No, the lab techs are all on leave with no pay until the government decides what the hell to do about Phoenix. I just assumed it was everyone.” They glanced at Desi. 

She held up her hands defensively. “I’m getting my check monthly. I haven’t gotten the second yet.”

“Well, then, you two are paying for me,” Zayn declared, laughing. “Since apparently your Special Ops team still gets cool things like ‘a salary.’”

Mac didn’t bother to tell them he’d planned to anyway. 

It was your run-of-the-mill aquarium café, but it was oddly charming, Mac had to admit. Zayn ordered a tuna salad sandwich and spent the next five minutes bickering with Desi over whether it was ironic or not to eat a tuna fish sandwich in an aquarium.

Mac wisely chose to stay out of it. 

“I’m just saying, eating fish surrounded by fish?” Desi teased, not for the first time. “Besides, aren’t tuna going extinct or something?”

“It’s specifically sustainable,” Zayn replied, also not for the first time, and took a sip from their can of orange soda. Their camera sat at the table, a fourth guest, and Mac got an idea. 

“Here, give me that when you’re done,” he requested, and Zayn downed the rest and slid it over to him curiously. He wrestled the pop tab off the top and grabbed their camera strap, threading it through where the plastic part was supposed to go. “There, that should be wearable for now. It’s not a long-term solution, but based on the physics -”

“Thank you,” Zayn cut in, staring at him with wide eyes. It wasn’t the first time they’d seen him improvise a solution, but their camera was their baby. He could hazard a guess how much the move meant to them. 

After lunch, they visited the tropical reefs and Zayn once again went full tour-guide. “It’s based on the habitats surrounding Micronesia,” they explained. “I’d absolutely love to go to the Pacific islands. Any of them, really, though I do love Hawaii, and even though it shouldn’t be, it’s a part of the US, so that makes it a little easier.”

“I’ve been to Hawaii,” Mac replied. “It’s really nice.” Zayn’s eyes grew wide.

“What for?” Desi asked. 

“After the earthquake,” he started to explain, and Desi was already nodding. 

“Right, right, Jack told me about that one.” She nodded. “You should go back when there’s not a natural disaster.” She gestured over at Zayn. “Maybe you could show that one some of the best spots.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Not you?”

Desi snorted. “If you think I don’t know exactly what I’m doing when I go to Hawaii, you don’t know me that well, after all.” 

Zayn groaned, clearly getting something Mac didn’t. “I am not climbing that mountain with you.”

“It’ll be fun!” Desi replied with a shit-eating grin. 

“‘Fun’ is not a word I’d use to describe it,” Zayn shot back. “Last time I climbed a mountain with you, I got heat stroke and a nice Japanese grandmother let me sit under her umbrella for 10 minutes while I guzzled water.”

“We made a friend, though.” Desi laughed and darted in to kiss Zayn when they groaned again, but they swatted her away.

“My mistress is cruel and delights in my suffering,” they lamented, and Mac couldn’t help but laugh. 

“You’re so dramatic,” Desi teased.

“Take Mac.” Zayn pointed at him. “Mac will climb a mountain with you, he’s a whole boy scout. This is why you have multiple partners: to fill multiple needs.”

He didn’t mind Zayn volunteering him; honestly, he’d probably enjoy climbing a mountain with Desi. 

“I’ll take that one for you,” he promised, earning a grateful smile. 

“And,” Zayn added with a smile, “you promised me the beach.”

He laughed. “I didn’t realize I was promising a beach in Hawaii, but I’m certainly up for that.”

Was it rash to plan a trip to Hawaii with a girl you’d only been dating for a couple months and her very adorable partner? Maybe. But he’d already been to Azerbaijan and Bosnia with Desi, so Hawaii didn’t seem all that daunting. Ideally, they’d even get shot at less.

Besides, the idea of it made him feel warm inside, and the way things were going these days, he chased that feeling wherever he could find it. 

He stuck with Desi but lost Zayn a couple more times while they explored. Desi was twitching, starting to look a little bored, and Mac thought it was about time to wrap this up. On to the next stage of the date. 

“Any idea where they went?” he asked. 

Desi shrugged. “Probably the jellyfish again. Or the octopus.”

“I don’t think there was an octopus.” Mac raised an eyebrow. If there was, he certainly hadn’t seen it. 

Desi shrugged again. “Jellyfish, then. Wanna get them and head out?”

He nodded. “I’ll find em, you can go get the car.” 

She grinned. “Good plan.” As if he didn’t know what she’d want. His car keys were in her pocket, anyway.

Zayn was, in fact, looking at the jellyfish again. They stood in front of the blue glass, silhouetted against a Lion’s Mane jelly, and Mac used his cell phone to take a picture. Not quite on par with their work, he’d wager, but they deserved to have pictures of themself too.

He tapped their shoulder, making them jump a little. “Sorry.” He held up his hands. 

Zayn looked him over. “Desi’s ready to go, huh?”

“How did you-?”

“She’s like this. You learn to notice the signs.” They shrugged, smiling fondly. “She fidgets. It doesn’t really bother me, because I’d just stay here forever if I could, so it’s good to have someone to cut me off. I can spend hours doing something, she has to do something new every hour.” 

It was balance. Desi had been doing the same for him, lately, too, making sure he didn’t get too absorbed in things, reminding him to eat. She could cook, and often did for him, which was a blessing. But in turn, he’d been able to get her to slow down a little bit.

He offered Zayn his hand. “There’s a pie place down the street,” he proposed. 

They grinned and took his hand and, god, he was so happy. He was flying high, feeling good - until he stepped outside and smelled smoke. 

“Breathe, Mac,” Zayn was whispering, squeezing his hand, and it was only then he realized he’d broken off to the side and curled in on himself. 

“Sorry.” He shook himself, embarrassed. 

They shrugged. “Triggers are normal. It’s okay.” Tentatively, they traced their fingers along his jaw. “But Mac, I really think you should see a therapist.”

“I’m fine,” he insisted, going down the same conversational path they’d treaded many times.

With Zayn, it was a conversation. With Desi, it was a fight. Zayn brought it up often; Desi only brought it up when things were really bad, and they were screaming at each other. Mac didn’t particularly like those times, but it’d only happened twice. He knew Zayn didn’t like it, either, because they always disappeared. 

“You know I have PTSD.” They delivered the reminder flatly, a deviation from the script. “You know I’m on medication and I see a therapist every two weeks. Mac, I am telling you, you are acting like I did when I came home, and you _need_ help.”

His cheek felt warm under their hand and he couldn’t look in their eyes. He’d never gotten the stony face from them before, only seen it used on Desi when she was being unreasonable, and it was definitely uncomfortable. 

“I’ll think about it,” he mumbled. He still didn’t want to, but he’d think about it, because they seemed really concerned. 

“Thank you.”

He risked a look up at them and god, he wanted to kiss them. 

Instead, he pulled away. “There’s a pie place down the street,” he said again.

Zayn smirked. “Yeah. You told me.”

“Do you -”

“Mac, when would I ever say no to pie?” They rolled their eyes at him. “C’mon, Desi’s probably waiting in the car.”

She was, and she teased Mac, but when he promised to buy her pie, she shut up and drove - faster than necessary, of course, but she drove.

Parking was a nightmare, always, but they found something eventually and walked into the bakery.

“Mac!” Bozer waved excitedly and jogged over, Leanna following behind much slower. 

“Oh, hey, Boze. This is -” He glanced around, but Zayn was nowhere to be found.

“A surprise!” Desi cut in seamlessly, fixing Mac with a very clear ‘shut your mouth’ glare.

Leanna waved and gave Mac a hug when she came over. “Hey.”

They made agonizing small talk for five minutes, and Mac could tell Desi was just as twitchy as he was. She just hid it better. He was trying to be subtle but he couldn’t stop scanning for Zayn. 

“Alright, Bozer, we should go,” Leanna suggested, tugging at his hand. “We still have errands.”

Mac tried not to visibly slump in relief and they bid each other goodbye.

“Where the -” he started to ask, but then Zayn was beside them again, teeth gritted. Desi pulled them into a hug and he realized what they’d done, even though he hadn’t asked them to.

Maybe all three of them were a little fucked up, but maybe they could all help each other.

**Author's Note:**

> So that season premiere has me back at it. I thought I was done with these three but Guess Not! Have some interim period fluff with light storm clouds of angst hinting at the things our premiere showed us.  
> Hope you all enjoy! Thank you for reading.


End file.
